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What he did initially was likely patriotic. How he has conducted himself since then—avoiding the American judicial system as if it somehow doesn't apply to him, providing positive PR opportunities to countries with far worse human rights records than the US—is not patriotic.

The American judicial system shouldn't apply to him or any other whistleblowers, because it has repeatedly demonstrated corrupt and punitive measures against them. Situations like this are why chaotic good is an alignment and the whole reason asylum exists. Snowden has sacrificed and risked a lot to bring these matters to his country's attention ("likely" patriotic), and has obviously only begun trying to save himself second, but any self-preservation is too much for you vultures.

Snowden has not afforded positive PR opportunities for countries with far worse human rights than the US. The opportunities have all come from the American government, which has been displaying itself as a cruel and out-of-control bully, and cracking down on things like journalism - ensuring the list of countries far worse than it is shorter than one would hope.

deadsoulswalk said:

Snowden is a defector.

Damn straight - Snowden was part of the NSA, which has been treating the public as their enemy, and he defected to the public's side. How come nobody questions the patriotism of the other workers, who have been upholding their contracts at the expense of the constitution, just the one guy who decided to stand up for something?